Process of treating cornstalks and similar substances.



t No Drawing.

GEORGE D, BURTON, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

rnocnss or TREATING coENsTALKs Ann SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

T0 all 'whom it may concern; a

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE D. BURTON,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of Boston, in the'county of Suffolk and State of.Massachusetts, have in-' vented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Treating Gornstalks and Similar Substances, of which thefollowing is a specificatio The object of my invention is to provide asimple, convenient and economical system for the purpose of treatingcornstalks, sugar- I bark and in fact any substance of a vegetable orfibrous nature.

Another object of my invention is to soften and handle the material orsubstances above referred to, so that the same may be subjected tofurther treatment such as will make them commercially useful in thearts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicientmeans whereby my treatment may be economically and safely carried on,which consists in providing a suitable apparatus for carrying out myinvention and for washing and bleaching the pulp or treated material.For these purposes I use an apparatus similar to that shown anddescribed United States LettBIS TPatBIflS #857,027, Issued to me June18, 190

I will now describe the operation of my invention, relating to thetreatment ofsuch material as cornstalks, sugar-cane (bagasse), etc., forthe purpose of reducing the same to pulp or a pulpy substance to be usedin the manufacture of paper, cardboard, etc., which consists in placingcornstalks or similar materials, in an apparatus substantially like themachine described in the patent referred to" herein for the purpose ofcleaning, softening, disintegrating, or separating and Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Sept, 26, 1916 Application filexfluly 26, 1911.Serial N o. 640,963. a i

lution containing the material under treatment .to a pressure of fromtwo to ten pounds, or less, and agitating, by any wellknown means, thesolution and material under treatment during the whole or a part of thetime the boiling or steaming pressure 1s being carried on.

The receptacle containing the stalks, etc.,

' may be constructed of any suitable material,

and contain a watery solution, to which suflicient'caustic soda 1s addedto increase the 'ravity of said solution to a degree of density varyingfrom 1.005 to 1.020 or less. The receptacle containing the material tobe treated may be agitated during the whole or apart of the boilingperiod for a time varying from sixty to one hundred and twenty minutes,which is suflicient to reduce the stalks, etc., to the conditionsrequired to make them useful for the making of pulp for paper,cardb0ard,'etc. By this manipulation of the stalks, sugar-cane and othersubstances, I do not carbonize or in any way injure the fibers. of thesame, and by this method of procedure my process shortens ter quality ofpulp or material than has bleachingthe substance of which the stalksvarying om the boiling point of the soheretofore been produced by thelonger and more ex ensive methods.

It has een the usual practice to boil such materials as I havedescribed, for a period varying from four to twelve hours in a solutionof caustic soda of about thirty degrees specific gravity under asteampressure varying from seventy to ninety pounds. Such treatment Ihave found by experience to be too severe, carbonizing or otherwiseinjuring the fibers, causing them tobecome brittle and unfit for themaking of good.

pulp or paper or for other uses.

Long experienceof many years devotedto the subject of treatingcornstalks, sugarcane, cotton-stalks, etc., for pulp and paper purposes,has determined the fact that the process hereimdescribed is best adaptedto the treatment. of such materials.

The solution and the substances immersed therein may be subjected to acurrent of electricity in connection with my process when desired. Ihave discovered that in shortening the time of treatment and by the useof a low steam-pressure and the adoption of a solution of a lesserdegree in gravity than heretofore used that my process is less expensivethan the methods previously practised, because I save time and labor,and also a saving in the expense of chemicals and steam pressure, andproduce a better product for all commercial purposes, avoiding theliability of any injury to the substances under treatment.

V treat the vwhole of the stalk in a manner that would producgthe same.results on all parts ofthe stalk-and have the product uniform.

M-y treatment herein described, enables me to produce a uniform materialsuitable for pulp and paper from all of the combined: parts ofthestalks. 25

-' I have found that when necessary to make a white paperfrom'co'rnstalks it is essential to add a bleaching compound to thepulpy material for the purpose of obtaining a good bleaching effect. o r

- I use for a bleachingmaterial about equal parts of dry chloridof limeand oxalic acid,-

rst dissolving the dry chlorid of-lime in water, then adding about thesamequantity.

of dissolved foxalicl acid, so that when the chlorid of lime and oxalicacidv are combined the solution thus formed mayvary 1n specific gravityfrom 1.003 to 1.020, more or less, as desired. Thisbleaching'compoundproduces gases when thetwo elements above describedare combined and causes a rapid bleachingefl'ect upon all vegetablematerials when sub ected to a solution made as above described. l

, Havi thus described my invention,

claim:

1. .The process of treating cornstalks and the like for thepurposeof'reducing the "same to pulp, which consists in placing the v.-.jstalks in a watery 'solutiomadding thereto "suflicient caustic soda toinc'rease'the gravity 7 of said solution-to adegree of density vary-'ing from.1 .005 to.1:020, and then boiling 1 the solution at atmosphericpressure at the same time agitating it.

2. The rocess 1E treatin' oornstalks and 'the'like' or the purpose ofreducing the same to pulp, which consists in placing. the

stalks in afwatery solution, .adding'thereto s'ufiicient caustic soda toincrease the gravity of said solution to a degree of density varyingfrom 1.005 to 1.020, and then boiling the solution, at the same timeagitating it, for a maximum period of from sixty to one hundred andtwenty minutes.

3. The process of treating cornstalks and the like for the purpose ofreducing the same to pulp, which consists in placing the stalks in awatery solution, adding thereto suflicient caustic soda to increase thegravity of said solution to a degree of. density varying from 1.005 to1.020, then subjecting said solution with the-material therein to asteam pressure merely sufiicient to bring the solution to the boilingpoint i and agitating the solution for from sixty to one hundred andtwenty minutes while thus subjected to steam pressure.

4. The process of treating cornstalks and the like for thepurpose ofreducing the same to pulp, which consists in placing the stalks in asuitable treating receptacle containing a mild caustic solution, thensubjecting the stalks to a steam pressure suflicient to boil the samefor the purpose of disintegrating the parts or fibers thereof. andreducing them to a pulpy coiidition, and then subjecting the pulp to ableaching comvegetable base, dissolved in water. a c

5.-The process of treating cornstalks which consists in boiling thestalks for a period of not less than sixty nor more than one hundred andtwenty minutes in a watery solution-containing suflicient caustic sodato bring its density tea point not less than 1.005 and not more than1.020, and agitating the material-during such period.

pound of an alkali and an acid having a,

.6..The process of treating cornstalks I which consists in boiling-thestalks for a period of not less than sixty nor more than one hundredandtwent I minutesinawatery'.

cient caustic soda to 1 bring its.- density to a point not less than 7solution containing 1.005 and not more than 1,.020,.and agitating thematerial during such period, a then nets of reactionjof approximatelyequal an aqueous solution having aspecific gravity from 1.003jto. 1.'020, approximately. v

bleaching the pulpy material by th prod-' 9 parts of 'chlorid of limeand. oxalic acid in I Signed by me at 4 Post Ofiice Sq., Boston,

i Mass, this 25th day ofEJuly, 1911.".

' WALTER E. I

NATHAN C.

